


A rough patch

by errantknightess



Category: D.Gray-man
Genre: Crack, Drabble, Facial Hair, Fluff, Gen, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-06-23 21:36:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15615558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/errantknightess/pseuds/errantknightess
Summary: There's something different about Lavi when he comes back from his last mission.





	A rough patch

“Allen!”

His name echoes cheerfully through the hall, accompanied by heavy, rapid footsteps. Allen braces himself for the impact, but he barely has time to react before Lavi crashes into him at full speed and cages him in an enthusiastic embrace.

“Welcome back,” he laughs, staggering a little under the sudden weight. He tries to turn around to see him, but Lavi’s arms are tight around him, pulling him close. His coat still smells of sweat and the cool damp air down in the waterway; Allen breathes it in, sinking deeper into the hug.

“You missed me this much? Couldn’t even take a shower before coming to see me?” he teases fondly, his head falling back to rest on Lavi’s shoulder. Warm breath tickles the back of his neck as Lavi lets out an offended huff into his hair.

“So mean,” he whines, leaning in to press their faces together, cheek rubbing against Allen’s, and it’s – _scratchy?_

“Hey!” Allen leans away, surprised, and finally twists his head enough to look at him. Lavi is a little worse for wear, as expected after a long, grueling journey: hair tousled, a dark circle under the eye, and – that gives Allen a pause – a hint of light red stubble dusting his jaw.

“What?” Lavi meets his puzzled gaze with one of his own before realizing. “Oh. Never seen me like that, have you?” He runs his hand over his chin, wincing at the roughness under his fingers. “I didn’t really get a chance to shave these last few days… Does it look bad?”

Allen needs longer than he’d like to decide.

“No…” he says slowly, tilting his head as if the angle matters. “Not bad, I think, just…” _Odd_. _Weird_. “Different.”

“You don’t sound too sure.” Lavi pokes him in the ribs. “Come on, tell me the brutal truth.”

“It’s okay.” Allen shrugs, jabbing his finger into Lavi’s stomach in retaliation. “I’m just not used to it, that’s all.”

As it turns out, though, he would have to get used to it after all, because when Lavi joins him at breakfast the next morning, the stubble is still there – just groomed a bit. Allen doesn’t comment, but his curious gaze doesn’t escape Lavi’s eye.

“I wanna give it a try and grow it out,” he explains. “I kinda like this. It makes me look more manly!”

Behind his back, Kanda snorts loudly into his noodles.

“It makes you look more stupid.”

“You’re entitled to your wrong opinion.” Lavi turns around, beaming a ridiculous smile at him. “Did you know that in many cultures, beards were considered a sign of wisdom?”

“Yeah, and that’s the only sign of wisdom we’ll be getting from _you_ ,” Kanda snaps back, not even lifting his gaze from the bowl.

Try as he might, Allen can’t help but chuckle.

“Not you too, Allen!” Lavi kicks him lightly under the table.

“Sorry.” He doesn’t sound sorry at all, and Lavi pouts, stabbing his eggs with a fork as if they have offended him as well. But a moment later he looks up again, pointing the fork at Allen with an agitated expression.

“By the way, I’ve been wondering! What colour is _your_ facial hair? Considering, you know…” His eye flickers to Allen’s head and back to his face, expectant.

Allen scratches his cheek. That’s a good question.

“I have no idea. I haven’t grown any yet.”

“I hope I’ll be around when that happens,” Lavi muses, stroking his own meager beard sagely. “For scientific curiosity, you know. And because I think it would suit you.”

“I doubt that.” Allen lets out a self-conscious laugh. “I would look like an old man.”

“You’ll never know till you try.” Lavi pokes him with his elbow, smiling again. “Who knows, maybe you’ll like it.”

 

Two days later, Allen becomes sure he doesn’t like it.

It’s not like the beard itself is ugly. Lavi has evidently been fussing with it a lot, making sure it’s tidy and well-trimmed. He actually looks pretty nice with it – dashing, even, and more mature than Allen has ever thought he would see him. It only bothers him a little when Lavi cuddles up to him like he usually does, but that’s a sacrifice he's willing to make.

But no, there’s something off about it, something _wrong_ , gnawing at the back of his head whenever he sees it. A primal repulsion that makes his blood rush and renders Lavi’s face temptingly punchable. Allen can’t quite put his finger on it, and it’s slowly driving him crazy, so he stares, and stares, and stares at Lavi every chance he gets, waiting for whatever it is to click in place.

And then it does.

“Oh my god,” Allen whispers over dinner, his fork clinking against the plate as he drops it in the sudden epiphany. “I know. You’re starting to look like Cross.”

The beard is gone the next day, and Allen kisses Lavi’s razor cuts better with no small relief.


End file.
